Ministry of National Defense Republic of Korea

ROK, US defense ministers hold phone talks on North’s ballistic missile launch

On May 5, 2022, Minister of National Defense Suh Wook held phone talks with his United States (US) counterpart Lloyd J. Austin Ⅲ, in which they reaffirmed the firmness of the alliance between the Republic of Korea (ROK) the United States (US), and the close cooperation system between the defense authorities of the two countries.

Regarding the North’s recent launch of a ballistic missile, the two ministers assessed this as counter to the international community’s request for peace and stability and as threatening peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in the Indo-Pacific region, denouncing it as an apparent violation of the United Nations Security Council Resolution.

During the phone talks, Austin congratulated Suh on the successful completion of his term of office, and expressed his thanks to Suh for his pivotal role in strengthening the ROK-US alliance, reaffirming the US’s airtight security commitment to the defense of the ROK.